Editorials

Race is always with us in America. But the terms of our national discussion are constantly changing or evolving. It was said by historians that Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency in 2008 wa…

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, there was no coordinated federal approach on how to handle myriad elements of the crisis. It was left to governors, in conjunction with state legislatures, t…

When many people look back, 2020 will be remembered as the worst year of their lives.

It’s Christmas Eve and we want to wish all our readers, advertisers and staff a “Merry Christmas.”

There’s a commendable focus on racial, ethnic and gender diversity in appointments to the incoming Biden administration, while one characteristic goes unremarked and possibly neglected. That i…

Come with us on a virtual road trip. We’ll start in the Cascade Range near the Willamette Valley and head south on Interstate 5. We’ll stop in towns with names like Detroit, Gates, Blue River,…

Even as climate change deniers in the Trump administration were blocking a reckoning, a new coalition of farm groups and environmentalists was meeting secretly — building a 40-point climate pr…

It’s been said that newspapers are the first rough draft of history. But in many cases, they are the only draft of history. Unless a professional reporter writes down what happened, much of th…

Usually at this time of year, we publish an exhortation to vote.

We’d like to talk about a former secretary of state, Dennis Richardson, before we get into our endorsement of Shemia Fagan for that race in the November election.

Astoria reached a milestone this year by completing the Riverfront Vision Plan.

From police and fire, water and sewer, parks and land use, cities make critical decisions about our everyday lives.

Voters will weigh several statewide ballot measures in the November election.

An open seat in state House District 32 presents us with the most difficult choice on the November ballot.

The Second Amendment protects one of our most fundamental rights.

Many Americans view Congress solely through a partisan political lens, which is why the legislative branch of our government is often the least popular.

Presidential politics can seem distant in our small corner of the Pacific Northwest.

How many U.S. attorneys general can you name? A few Americans may remember Robert F. Kennedy served in his brother’s administration. Fewer may recall John Mitchell, who was eventually imprison…

Day care is essential for working families with small children. Its availability is one of those fundamental elements that makes a community’s economy strong or compromised.

The good news regarding the census is that we’re starting to see census takers walking around neighborhoods, knocking on doors to locate and count residents who didn’t respond to mailings or i…

American cities are divided between those that maintain infrastructure and those that don’t.

As legislators across the nation grapple with revenue shortfalls caused by the shutdown and curtailment of businesses in their states because of the coronavirus pandemic, we issue a plea.

Good news for Oregonians!

The post office is one of the marvels of America’s economy and culture.

Feeding America is a tough job, but farmers, ranchers, orchardists, fishermen, dairy operators and food processors rise to the occasion every day.

George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May forced all of us to examine our attitudes toward institutional racism.

While most people on the North Coast were preparing for the Fourth of July weekend, staff at the Clatsop County Public Health Department were scrambling to prevent another coronavirus outbreak…

It was a joy last week to report the sale of the Performing Arts Center.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; and they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the purs…

When fireworks are set off in dry dune grass, sometimes we luck out and nothing bad happens. More often, a fire starts but emergency responders get there fast and little damage is done. But th…

Like most everything else, education is set for transformation on a scale that was unimaginable half a year ago.

There is no asterisk required for the Class of 2020.

Anyone who thinks the coronavirus pandemic was a big surprise wasn’t paying attention. A bad one was overdue and had been predicted for decades — talked and written about to such an extent tha…

We hesitate to invoke a dusty metaphor that politicians love — that the coronavirus pandemic is a “war.”

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners has correctly identified the most important policy issues facing the North Coast — housing, a new jail, mental health, child care — but has often miss…

State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell’s decision to bow out just before the filing deadline in March upended state House District 32.

Property taxes are a critical source of revenue for local governments.

Every day, we get the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. How many people tested positive, and how many have died. The number rolls higher and higher as our political leaders struggle to find …

Norma Paulus would be proud. And she would be amazed. As secretary of state from 1977 until 1985, Paulus was the prime mover of Oregon’s voting by mail. Other states have been slow to follow O…

‘Hollow regret is all we can offer to the species we’ve hustled off into extinction — from the clouds of passenger pigeons that once filled America’s skies to the faintly ridiculous dodo birds…

No one expected the task force Astoria created in 2017 would solve homelessness.

It’s time for the 2020 version of the FisherPoets Gathering. We’re delighted to welcome the poets and the audiences who will savor their salty tales and applaud their creativity.

Monday’s commemoration of Presidents Day was a moment to pause and reflect on the legacy of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Oregon has the chance to make progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that influence climate change.

When Pacific Seafood sought a way to address worker housing in Astoria, the reaction from neighbors was perhaps inevitable.

The Oregon Coast is a national treasure providing 363 miles of access to the Pacific Ocean and yet it is grossly unprotected in one important way. Most of it isn’t covered by Doppler radar.

Clatsop County educators should take a brief, but well deserved, break for a moment to pat themselves on the back for a significant achievement.

One of the bright spots at the Port of Astoria over the past decade is the emergence of cruise ships.

The official U.S. census tally each 10 years — one is coming right up — results in updated population numbers proudly displayed on city limits signs across the country. Declines bring a sense …

Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates a remarkable American life. It also reminds us of a transformational moment in recent American history. The federal holiday is especially full of meanin…

With the North Coast’s affordable housing crisis in full swing, it is hard to defend Clatsop County’s rule about recreational vehicle living.

It is heartbreaking to see photos of wildlife and sea species that have died from swallowing or becoming tangled in plastic bags.